TECHNOLOGY
Fast forward Tech trends are impacting the world of business travel in a big way and this looks likely to accelerate during 2020, writes Linda Fox
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any of the trends which emerged in 2019 in corporate travel will continue to be on the agenda in 2020. Some will accelerate and perhaps become mainstream while traction for others will be slower as companies prioritise other issues. In travel technology, the industry can expect ongoing trends such as the continued explosion in payment mechanisms and the rise and rise of data and how it helps improve the traveller experience. Sustainability and the impact corporate travel has on the environment, and where new technology can play a role, will also be increasingly in the spotlight. The use of machine learning will permeate across the corporate travel sector as it automates processes and brings efficiency as well as improvements in the travel experience. In just a few years the number of ways consumers can pay for goods and services has exploded, from online payment systems such as PayPal (owned by eBay) to mobile mechanisms such as Apple Pay, AliPay and WeChat Pay. All predictions are for this trend to continue. Analysis from
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Issue 8
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The industry can expect ongoing trends such as the continued explosion in payment mechanisms and the rise and rise of data and how it helps improve the traveller experience." Amadeus reveals that alternative payment methods overtook cards and cash combined in 2019 for the first time. In Q4 2019 earnings, Apple CEO Tim Cook said there were 3bn Apple Pay transactions and that the app’s
transactions and revenue more than doubled yearon-year. By the end of 2019, UK bank RBS began trialling biometric key fobs for transactions up to £100 while Gemalto announced biometrics would be coming to card payments. What this means for travel suppliers is the need to ensure they can offer the payment methods their customers are using. With payments comes data - knowing where travellers are spending their money and on what is powerful but it’s only one area where data will be
